1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to a device for performing multiple tasks. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a device for digitizing documents and reading and decoding optical codes, such as bar codes, DPM codes and RFID codes. Even more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a device for digitizing and processing checks in accordance with the standards and requirements of the Check 21 Act and driver licenses and obtaining identification data therefrom as well as for reading and decoding optical codes, such as PDF codes.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Check 21 Act signed into law by the President of the United States in October 2003 establishes a legal basis for an electronic form of check. In the United States, after the law takes effect in October 2004, mandatory acceptance of the new digital check will be required. For example, banks and other financial institutions will be required to accept a digital image to clear checks, thereby making check processing, including check authentication, much faster and reducing check fraud.
In order to conform with the Check 21 Act, checks have to be digitized before being presented to be cleared via automated check clearing processing. Digitization can be performed by business establishments accepting checks by mail or at a point-of-sale, such as retail establishments, service providers (telephone companies, satellite television companies, etc.); education institutions; and banks of a first deposit, such as financial institutions who accept checks for deposit.
In addition, retailers also have to capture images of driver licenses or read personal data file (PDF) barcodes included on the back of the licenses for a variety of reasons. For instance, the retailers use the information from the driver licenses for age verification or automatically populate data fields of a credit application.
As is known in the art, checks and driver licenses, like many documents, can be digitized using scanning or imaging devices, such as handheld area scanners, operating on particular platforms and the resulting digital images being stored in databases. Typically, business establishments and financial institutions utilize prior art document scanners/imagers to scan and digitize checks and driver licenses. However, other businesses in an effort to forego the cost of document scanners/imagers rely on barcode scanners or imagers for reading and decoding barcodes and also digitizing documents. However, prior art document scanners/imagers and barcode scanners/imagers are not generally practical or feasible to scan checks and driver licenses at a POS location.
Additionally, in order for the POS scanning/imaging devices to communicate the imaged documents to a computer terminal, custom application software is generally required, including communication protocols and hardware. Custom application software is also required for performing Check 21 processing methodologies to process the digitized checks in accordance with Check 21 standards and requirement before presenting the digitized checks for clearing. This results in an increase in set-up, maintenance and operating costs.
A need therefore exists for an integrated platform enabling the digitization of checks, driver licenses and other documents, including the processing of checks in accordance with Check 21 standards and requirements, and the performance of additional tasks, such as reading and decoding optical codes, such as bar codes, PDF codes, DPM codes and RFID codes, at POS locations.
Additionally, a need exists for a device for digitizing driver licenses and checks, as well as processing the digitized checks in accordance with Check 21 standards and requirements, when operating in a first mode, and for imaging, laser scanning, sensing, reading and decoding optical codes when operating in a second mode, at POS locations.